… and when you’re in a mood reading patch, a silent book club group is perfect to see you through!

Here’s part of what independent book review web site and podcast Book Riot has to say about what it means to be a mood reader:

“A mood reader is a person who reads according to their mood. This means that their feelings and emotions often dictate what they’ll read. If they’re feeling happy and want to bask in that happiness, they choose a book or genre that will tie in with that feeling. If they’re feeling upset or angry, they may opt for a heart wrenching period drama or a dystopian thriller. The books could serve to expand an emotion or to comfort the reader. Either way, a mood reader selects and reads books based on how they are feeling at any given moment.”

One could argue that mood reading is even more complicated and granular than that. Feeling upset or angry, a mood reader might then opt for the cheery read, and avoid the subject matter or tone that deepens an unhappy feeling. Feeling distracted, not so much tone as simplicity of expression might be the only way to sustain any kind of reading. Perhaps an intense combination of factors might cause the mood reader to abandon reading altogether – we’ve explored the whole loss and regaining of one’s reading mojo throughout the pandemic.

At any rate, one of our readers made this very confession during today’s meeting. She said she had at least four books on the go currently, each differently suited to how focused, energetic, happy (or not) she was at any given time. Of course, characterizing what she said as a confession suggests that saying you’re a mood reader or in a mood reading phase is something to be ashamed of – which it is not! Our group of readers rallied round, more such so-called confessions emerged. The conclusion seemed to be that in fact, mood reading is realistically attuned to our different feelings and energy levels, as well as focus, environment (don’t you read differently on the subway than you do in your favourite reading chair?) and more. Having multiple books on the go, for all those different moods and settings, etc., etc.? Nothing to be worried about at all! And if you need more ideas for more books to fit all those moods? We’re here to help.

Without further ado, here is our latest combined book list. As I’ve mentioned before, each list reflects the reading of many of our members, whether or not they attended the meeting. The titles featured in each of our reports encompass print and digital versions of books, along with audiobooks.

I’m regularly asked if our group recommends specific books. My answer? Any title on any of our group’s lists means that at least one (often more) readers have given that title some consideration. That is encouragement, I’d say, for other readers reading our reports and lists to consider it, too. Is that a recommendation? It might, but not exactly or necessarily. It always means, though, that a title has been given attention and thought by our readers, which counts for a lot.

• The Reading List by Sara Nisha Adams, narrated by Tara Divina, Sagar Arya, Paul Panting (audiobook)
• Brotha Vegan by Omowale Adewale
• Shrines of Gaiety by Kate Atkinson
• Pride and Prejudice by Jane Austen
• Unwinding Anxiety by Judson Brewer
• The Game by Ken Dryden
• The Possession by Annie Ernaux
• The Constant Rabbit by Jasper Fforde
• Lessons in Chemistry by Bonnie Garmus
• The Woman in the Library by Sulari Gentill
• The Locked Room by Elly Griffiths
• Leonard and Hungry Paul by Rónán Hession
• The Year of the Puppy by Alexandra Horowitz
• All My Cats by Bohumil Hrabal
• The Unseen by Roy Jacobsen
• Bloomsbury Girls by Natalie Jenner
• Drink: The Intimate Relationship Between Women and Alcohol by Ann Dowsett Johnston
• Quarrels by Eve Joseph
• Namwayut by Chief Robert Joseph
• Dubliners by James Joyce
• Nobody Will Tell You This But Me: A True (As Told to Me) Story by Bess Kalb (audiobook)
• The Stationery Shop by Marjan Kamali
• Foster by Claire Keegan
• Brother Alive by Zain Khalid
• My Brother by Jamaica Kincaid
• The Premonition by Michael Lewis
• Straggle – Adventures in Walking While Female by Tanis MacDonald
   



• Wolf Hall by Hilary Mantel
• Rebel by Rahaf Mohammed
• The Whole Singing Ocean by Jessica Moore
• Recitatif by Toni Morrison, narrated by Zadie Smith, Bahni Turpin (audiobook)
• The Sandcastle by Iris Murdoch, narrated by Juliet Aubrey (audiobook)
• Lives Lived by Howard Pell
• The state of disbelief: a therapist’s story of love, death and mourning by Juliet Rosenfeld
• Aug 9 – Fog by Kathryn Scanlan
• Naming thy name: Cross Talk in Shakespeare’s Sonnets by Elaine Scarry
• This Accident of Being Lost by Leanne Betasamosake Simpson
• Valley of the Birdtail: an Indian Reserve, a White Town, and the Road to Reconciliation by Andrew Stobo Sniderman and Douglas Sanderson
• The Victorian and the Romantic by Nell Stevens (audiobook)
• Palladian by Elizabeth Taylor
• Survivor Song by Paul Tremblay
• Keeper’n Me by Richard Wagamese
• No Land to Light On by Yara Zgheib, narrated by Fajer Al-Kaisi, Ali Andre Ali, Suehyla El-Attar (audiobook)

Here are some additional book-related articles, resources, news, recommendations and more. These items and tidbits are often companions to books on the list, or are inspired or offered by our members and/or come up during our discussions and chat.

• If you enjoyed Magpie Murders by Anthony Horowitz, there is a good chance you will also enjoy the new television series of the same name.
• The Long Term Care Trilogy recently brought together actors, activists, authors, public figures and caregivers to perform readings of plays by Sophocles and Shakespeare as a catalyst for engaging diverse audiences – both in-person and on Zoom – in conversations about the challenges of caring for those our society has marginalized and left behind, especially elders. Presented by the Toronto Festival of Authors, it featured performances by Margaret Atwood, David Strathairn, The Rt. Hon. Adrienne Clarkson, Vanessa Sears, Jani Lauzon, Deena Aziz, Araya Mengesha, Evan Buliung, R.H. Thomson, Daren A. Herbert, Laura Condlln and a Chorus of Caregivers: Dee Hope, Michael Booth and Carol Lemen. It’s now past, but let’s be on the lookout for either a replay of the event, or new such presentations in future.
• The Pursuit of Love is an excellent 3-part television miniseries based on the 1945 novel of the same name by Nancy Mitford.

Oh, and by the way … Happy 5th anniversary to our silent book club group! Here’s a report from the very first meeting.

Our previous reports and book lists are always available to inform, delight, inspire and add to your tbr pile … right here.

You can also check out links to articles, interviews and more here – some with San Francisco-based Silent Book Club founders Guinevere de La Mare and Laura Gluhanich, and some with us here in east end Toronto.

Learn more about silent book clubs via Guinevere and Laura’s Silent Book Club web site. You can find information on meetings happening around the world and close to where you live. Some clubs are currently on hiatus or modified schedules, many are running virtual meetings in different formats, and some are carefully running in-person gatherings again. Please feel free to contact me for more information about our club and its offerings.

Sometimes our readers show up at our silent book club meetings to just listen, to gather reading inspiration when the reading energy or focus is flagging, and to be in very good bookish company. If you can’t join us to listen, we still hope these posts and lists help satisfy the many moods in which you might be reading or striving to read.